Annex A: Draft New Towns Planning Policy
Published 23 March 2026
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2026
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The adoption of the New Towns Programme will establish a long-term pipeline of large-scale settlements that will deliver housing supply in an ambitious and innovative way, in the national interest, and bring substantial public benefit.
It will deliver housing supply, unlock significant economic potential across the country, lay the foundation for long-term, sustainable growth, and create excellent, sustainable places at a scale which means that they can be developed with all the infrastructure that they need to succeed. New towns will make a significant contribution in the places of strategic importance they lie within and together create a network of new places in the national interest.
This statement sets out policies to be taken into account in plan and decision-making where locations have been identified as New Towns under the programme. It should be read alongside the National Planning Policy Framework, as relevant policies in that Framework will also apply.
New Towns and plan-making
New Towns will contribute towards meeting the identified housing need of relevant strategic and local planning authorities. To support their delivery, development plans should, at the most appropriate level:
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identify New Town locations and their intended scale[footnote 1], including identifying known boundaries to give clarity on the extent of land for development specifically as a New Town
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set out the policies that apply specifically to any New Town allocations
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identify the infrastructure necessary to support a New Town, both in the early stages of its development and over the longer term, and include measures to support its delivery (such as by allocating land for infrastructure or identifying corridors needed for future infrastructure investment)
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be consistent with any existing town-wide framework masterplan and town-wide design code prepared to set out the vision for development in each New Town
Masterplans and codes prepared for New Towns should be based on the New Towns Placemaking Principles set out in Annex A and any guidance on planning, design and placemaking in New Towns published by the government.
New Towns and decision-making
Substantial weight should be given to the social and economic benefits of New Towns when considering proposals for their development. Where development proposals within a New Town would comprise inappropriate development in the Green Belt, it is likely that that such development would constitute the very special circumstances to justify inappropriate development in the Green Belt.
To support the development of New Towns and prevent development that would have an unacceptable impact on their delivery, development proposals within identified New Town areas should be consistent with:
- the New Towns Placemaking Principles at Appendix A and [footnote 2]
- any emerging or adopted framework masterplan and design code for the New Town.
Development proposals in identified New Town areas should be refused if they would have a clear adverse effect on the proposed scale, location or phasing of New Town proposals.
Development proposals outside of New Town areas should not have an adverse impact on the delivery of New Towns, including in relation to consistency with Appendix A: New Towns Placemaking Principles.
Appendix A to the New Towns Planning Policy
New Towns Placemaking Principles
Vision-led
Each New Town should have a clear long-term vision for creating a well-designed and distinctive place, supported by a town-wide framework masterplan and a town-wide design code to ensure placemaking quality.
Ambitious density
New Towns should aim to be built at a density sufficient to enable residents to walk to local amenities, support public transport, unlock better social infrastructure, and create active and liveable neighbourhoods.
Affordable housing and balanced communities
New Towns should provide a diverse range of high-quality housing, with a range of housing types and tenures to suit the needs of a balanced community. This should include a minimum target of 40% affordable housing, of which at least half to be available for social rent.
Social infrastructure
New Towns should support thriving communities by ensuring access to schools, cultural, sporting and healthcare facilities, and other social infrastructure that meets new residents’ needs from the outset.
Healthy and safe places
New Towns should be healthy and safe places which promote active lives for residents, with easily accessible green spaces and recreational facilities.
Environmental sustainability
New Towns should be designed and delivered to embrace ambitious environmental standards, with buildings and neighbourhoods that are low carbon, climate resilient and which help to protect, restore and enhance biodiversity.
Transport connectivity
New Towns should connect people to skills, jobs, services and amenities. This should include high quality public transport, walking and cycling networks within each town and convenient connections into wider transport networks.
Business creation and employment opportunities
New Towns must be places that provide jobs for residents and enable businesses to grow, supporting the government’s economic growth mission.
Stewardship
A long-term stewardship model for New Towns should be in place from the outset, including clear governance and funding structures to manage and maintain communal assets over the long term.
Community engagement
New Towns should establish clear and effective ways to engage the local community in shaping the vision and goals for each new town, and empower residents to build social capital and help define the town’s cultural identity.